The computer screen flickered to life with a soft hum, revealing the familiar interface. A prompt appeared, recognizing Caden's biometric data.
"Welcome back, Commander Caden," the display read, in its smooth, soothing AI voice.
Caden, eyebrows raised, let out a low whistle of surprise. "Guess some things never change," he murmured to himself. He had half-expected his access to have been revoked or altered due to the events of his absence. But it seemed that Elara, despite the administrative changes that took place in his absence, had not removed his authorization from the ship's mainframe.
